Dewayne Ragland: A Friend of Racing

Many of the Florida Speedweeks regulars felt the void in the pits left by the passing of Dewayne Ragland. Ragland crisscrossed the country while representing Motor State Distributing and Allstar Performance for the past two decades. Four close friends — Jay Dickens, Gene Jones, Brad Loden, and Curt Spalding — recalled what made Dewayne Ragland the man that they, and so many others, aspired to be.

A Well-Rounded Individual

Dewayne Ragland dedicated his life to the sport, serving it in various capacities — crew chief, engine builder, shock and spring manufacturer representative. However, he’s best known for his work as an account representative for Motor State Distributing and Allstar Performance. Ragland also founded and owned the American Modified Series. Ragland wore a lot of hats, but he wore them all well.

“Dewayne was an amazing dude,” said Jones, of Maxima Racing Oils. “He knew shocks, chassis, engines — and if he didn’t know something, he found out. He would call me for suggestions. If I needed a suggestion on something that I wasn’t the most knowledgeable about, I’d call him.”

Dickens echoed Jones’ sentiments.

“He was a shock guy for years — very knowledgeable in that area [and] the whole race car in general,” Dickens, of his namesake Jay Dickens Racing Engines, said. “Earlier in his career, he worked in an engine shop. He was a well-rounded individual.”

Ragland’s knowledge wasn’t limited to race cars, either.

“He would regularly go to racetracks, and after 30 years, you’re going to get to know the promoters,” said Spalding, of Allstar Performance. “The promoters would call him. They’d ask him, ‘What did you see that we can improve on?’”

Dewayne Ragland, aka “The Helper”

Ragland’s experience across various segments of the sport provided him with a skillset unparalleled in the racing. However, possessing skills is one thing. Applying them is another.

“Dewayne had a lot of knowledge, and he shared that with a lot of people,” Dickens said. “That’s what was unique about him. Most people who know a lot of stuff like to keep it to themselves. He always wanted to help people.”

That extended beyond his customers.

“It didn’t matter if he knew them or not — he always tried to help fix their problems,” said Dickens. “I never seen an individual quite like that. It was just his nature.”

Ragland seemed to have a magnetism to those in need.

“It’s not like he had his arms up, asking who he could help next — it was the opposite,” Spalding said. “He could stand there, look at somebody’s race car, and they’d start asking him questions and he’d help them.”

His quest to help was not only confined to the pits.

“He’d help people just because he would be sitting, talking with them in the bleachers at a race,” said Spalding. “People would come up to him and say, ‘Hey, I ran into trouble today and I need something.’”

Old-School Salesman

Many of today’s salespeople strongly pitch their products and services to prospects. Ragland, however, took a different approach.

“Dewayne wasn’t just a salesman, he was a problem solver,” Dickens said. “Most salesmen come in trying to sell their items. Dewayne would come in [and say,] ‘Do you got any problems we need to fix?’ He got things handled. Dewayne knew the right people to get the problems fixed. He was just trying to make things better for both sides — his company and the customer.”

Ragland understood how small problems can ferment into larger issues.

“Some salesmen will brush the little problems under the rug, because they want to sell, sell, sell,” said Dickens. “That wasn’t the case with him. He wanted to get the problems resolved and let the sales take care of themself. If [a salesman takes] care of the things that need to get taken care of, that’s who you’ll do business with.”

Ultimately, Ragland abided by the Golden Rule.

“A guy told me this many years ago — people buy parts from people,” Jones said. “You treat someone the way you want to be treated. That’s how you gain people’s trust. Trust building in sales is important. His customers knew that they could always depend on him and trust him that he’s giving them the best information.”

Large Network of Friends

With decades of experience in the sport, Dewayne Ragland accumulated more than knowledge. He built a robust network of contacts, thanks in part to his strong people skills.

“Dewayne could meet somebody for the first time, and they were a friend,” said Spalding. “It was more than just business. With more than 30 years in the industry, he has a ton of those relationships, and he treats them like family.”

Ragland often took distant branches of that family tree and bridged them together to help those in his network.

“He had a knack of putting people together,” Brad Loden, of Edelbrock, said. “When I was at Jay [Dickens Racing Engines], he introduced people to us and helped get our engines into race cars. When I was building shocks, he helped get our shocks on a lot of cars. He worked with everybody for the common good.”

Ragland frequently interacted even with his competitors.

“We were once competitors,” said Jones. “He worked for Motor State. I worked for CV Products. I didn’t view him as a competitor. Dewayne was a salesman, but he was a racer. He tried to take care of everybody, regardless of who they were, whether they worked for a competitor or not. He was an industry friend.”

Dedication

Certainly, talent takes your places, but dedication cements your position in what you do. Dewayne Ragland exemplified that.

“Dewayne didn’t stop,” Spalding said. “During the day, Dewayne helped the customers of Motor State Distributing at their businesses. At night, he would go to the races and help racers. Racers are not direct customers, but they’re customers of the customer he had visited that day.”

Ragland simply loved the sport.

“He drove up and down the road, crazy miles, to earn his paycheck to provide for his family,” said Spalding. “But, in reality, his secondary family was all those racers and the people at the tracks. He tied his work to race events because he wanted to be at races all the time.”

For the customer or racer in need, Ragland readily picked up the phone.

“He’s one of the most dedicated guys in this field,” Dickens said. “You could call him 10 o’clock at night [and] he’ll answer, ‘Motor State, this is Dewayne.’ He was on call 24/7. He was a company man. He took his job seriously.”

That kind of dedication takes racers to victory lane. Ragland understood that. He also knew that it helped him achieve success, too.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a salesman, engine builder, chassis builder, or a race team, the only way you’re going to succeed and be something special in this sport is by giving it your all,” said Dickens. “You don’t work 8 to 5. You’re not going to make it in this sport, if you have that approach.”

What’ll Be Missed Most about Dewayne Ragland

Dewayne Ragland, 65, of Stout, Ohio, passed away on January 28 due to Covid-19. While more than a month ago, his friends still feel the sting of their friend’s passing.

“There’s a network of us outside sales guys who travel a lot,” said Loden. “[You start to think about] all the meals you shared…. Different meetings…. It’s a tough deal.”

Jones also struggled with the loss of Ragland.

“He was a brother from another mother because we traveled together, did races together,” Jones said. “I got a couple of decals made in memory of Dewayne, and put one in my shop and one on my desk. I looked at it, and I’m like, ‘Hey, man, I’d like to talk with you.’”

Spalding often received calls from Ragland after he had raced his modified.

“[With] his circle of people, he would talk with them at two o’clock in the morning,” said Spalding. “If I was racing at Fairbury [Speedway in Illinois], he knew it was three and a half hours to get home. Part of that call was not about what had happened that night, but it was about keeping everybody awake, going down the road safely, and making sure you’re okay.”

Dewayne Ragland proved that drivers who win a ton of races don’t necessarily make the greatest impact on the sport. Instead, it’s those who help others succeed that often leave the most lasting impression.